Olympiacos is in the final stretch for their first-ever European final, with everyone in the “red and white camp” living and breathing for the second leg of the Conference League semi-final.
With Vincente Iborra by his side during the press conference, José Luis Mendilibar didn’t reveal his tactical plans, asking for patience from journalists until kickoff. The epic 2-4 score from the first leg gives the Piraeus team a clear advantage, yet nothing has been decided yet, something everyone seems to realize.
For the hosts, there are no fresh issues apart from the absence of Francisco Ortega, a known absence that hasn’t disrupted Mendilibar’s plans. Both the Basque coach and his experienced player gave the impression that calmness prevails on their side, despite the match’s high importance and the much more work needed at “G. Karaiskakis”. The fact that Olympiacos had no games in the previous days due to Easter and will be fresher than their opponent, who played against Brighton (lost 1-0) while still trying to secure their spot in the Premier League’s top four, has evidently played a significant role in the preparation for the match.
African Dust: The guidelines for protection – Who should be more careful
On the other hand, speaking to protothema.gr, Unai Emery emphasized how much he enjoys what he has achieved this season but asked his players to give him a few more moments of enjoyment. He also didn’t reveal his plans, expressing uncertainty about using the world champion and one of the best goalkeepers in the world in recent years, Emiliano Martínez, who traveled with the rest of the squad. Dibu is speculated to play normally, meaning Olympiacos will need to be more cautious in both Villa’s build-up as well as the 2/3 of the court, with the Argentine goalkeeper keeping calm near his area and having quick distributions either with his hands or feet.
